I'm Becky - a Northern Virginian who dreams of the country but could never *really* be far from a city. Minimalist. Yoga and nail polish lover. Bookworm. Miscarriage Survivor. Infertility Warrior. Prefers Etsy over the mall. Crazy in love with my husband. Inspired by living simply and intentionally. Firm believer in finding joy in life's little moments. Welcome!

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Apr 10, 2014

The best kind of wisdom is sweaty

I found the Etsy shop Sweaty Wisdom when someone posted a photo on Instagram and I was hooked! The name of the shop, the cleverness of the sayings, the variety of products - I was all in! When I contacted the shop owner and asked if she'd be up for answering some questions, her response was similar to something I would send - cheery and full of exclamation marks!!! So today I am happy to introduce you to Chris of Sweaty Wisdom!

I LOVE the name of your Etsy shop - it's so clever! How did you get started? Is this a hobby, your full-time job, or something in between? This whole thing started in February of last year, when I began really deepening my yoga practice and starting to assistant teach. When I would be really sweating my arse off in the middle of a practice, these thoughts would bubble up that really resonated with me that I would repeat in my head - they'd come from the theme of the practice, or wherever my mind wandered to that day. Anyhow, these thoughts meant a lot to me, so after the practice, I would run to my car and jot them down in a notebook that I kept in my glove box.

One day I thought, "Hey dummy, if these thoughts mean something to you, maybe they'll mean something to other people too!" So I started a blog as a dumping ground for these thoughts, where I would post phrases in simple typographic layouts. It started to really gain traction, so I set some goals (making social media pages, creating products, having an art show, etc). But yes, that's where the name came from. Little moments of AHA! that occurred whilst coated in sweat.

What inspires you? (Besides yoga of course!) I'm inspired by weirdos. By people. By everyone. I think there's nothing more amazing than being surrounded by people who own the hell out of their total unique awesome selves. You are automatically liberating just by being around them.

How do you come up with the items in your shop? Have you ever been inspired for something while doing yoga? First, I come up with the phrase. Or rather, it comes to me. Then I whip it up into a design and post it to my social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr. I let them linger for a while and if one seems particularly popular or really resonates with me, I try it out on a note card first. Then I branch out into other print goods.

Do you create every day or is it more of a "as it comes" mentality? I used to stress about creating something everyday. Lately I've been letting it happen more organically, like when I first started. It just seems more authentic. For example, last week I moved apartments and didn't come up with anything new all week! I was just not inspired, so I let it be.

What's your favorite item in your shop right now? Does this ever change? My favorite item in the shop right now is the Salute the Sun and FUCK IT notecards. It always changes. The products are like my children, I love 'em all the same.

And just for fun - if you had to eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be? STEAK. I'm a big time carnivore.Don't you just love her?! I have a problem limiting myself when I start perusing her shop, which is kind of a fun problem to have! You can find connect with Sweaty Wisdom through the blog, Etsy Shop, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook - so many ways to love on her creativity! Thanks for letting us get to know you Chris!